[Illustration: Ostrich on Her Nest.]
The head of the Ostrich is naked and callous, with a short bill, much
depressed and rounded at the point; its legs are half naked, muscular,
and fleshy; the feet are long and rough, terminating in two toes
pointing forward, one of which is shorter than the other and has no
claw; the wings are very short, and formed of soft and flexible
feathers; the tail taking the form of a plume.
There is but one species of the Ostrich; it is sparsely diffused over
the interior of Africa, and is rarely found in Asia except perhaps in
Arabia. It is the largest member of the family, generally measuring six
feet in height, and occasionally attaining nine feet; its weight varies
from twenty to a hundred pounds.
The Ostrich has been known from the most remote antiquity. It is spoken
of in the sacred writings, for Moses forbade the Hebrews to eat of its
flesh, as being “unclean food.” The Romans, however, far from sharing
the views of the Jewish legislator, considered it a great culinary
luxury. In the days of the Emperors they were consumed in considerable
numbers; and we read that the luxurious Heliogabalus carried his
magnificence so far as to cause a dish composed of the brains of 600
Ostriches to be served at a feast; this must have cost an almost
incalculable sum. In former days it was a favorite dish with the tribes
of Northern Africa. At the present date the Arabs content themselves
with using its fat as an outward application in certain diseases,
especially rheumatic affections; and they derive from it, as they say,
very beneficial effects.
The natives of Africa call the Ostrich “the Camel of the desert,” just
as the Latins denominated it Struthio camelus. There is, in fact, some
likeness between them. This resemblance consists in the length of the
neck and legs, and in the form of the toes. In some of their habits they
also resemble each other; the Ostrich lies down in the same way as the
Camel, by first bending the knee, then leaning forward on the fleshy
part of the sternum, and letting its hinder quarters sink down last of
all.
That the Ostrich is extremely voracious is certain. Although the senses
of sight and hearing are so highly developed that it is said to
distinguish objects six miles off, and the slightest sounds excite its
ear, the senses of taste and smell are very imperfect. This is the
explanation given for its readiness to swallow unedible substances. In a
wild state it takes into its stomach large pebbles, to increase its
digestive powers; in captivity it gorges bits of wood and metal, pieces
of glass, plaster and chalk, probably with the same object.
Herbage, Insects, Molluscs, small Reptiles, and even small animals, are
the principal food of the wild Ostrich; when it is in a state of
domesticity even young Chickens are frequently devoured by it. It is
capable of enduring hunger and thirst for many days—about the most
useful faculty it could possess in the arid and burning deserts which it
inhabits—but it is quite a mistake to suppose it never drinks, for it
will travel immense distances in search of water when it has suffered a
long deprivation, and will then drink with evident pleasure.
The muscular power of the Ostrich is truly surprising. If matured it can
carry a man on its back; and is readily trained to be mounted like a
Horse, and to bear a burden. The tyrant Firmius, who reigned in Egypt in
the third century, was drawn about by a team of Ostriches; even now the
Negroes frequently use it for riding.
When it first feels the weight of its rider, the Ostrich starts at a
slow trot; it however soon gets more animated, and stretching out its
wings, takes to running with such rapidity that it seems scarcely to
touch the ground. To the wild animals which range the desert it offers a
successful resistance by kicking, the force of which is so great that a
blow in the chest is sufficient to cause death.
Man succeeds in capturing the Ostrich only by stratagem. The Arab on his
swiftest courser would fail to get near if he did not by his
intelligence supply the deficiency in his physical powers. “The legs of
an Ostrich running at full speed,” says Dr. Livingstone, “can no more be
seen than the spokes in the wheel of a vehicle drawn at a gallop.”
According to the same author, the Ostrich can run about thirty miles in
an hour—a speed and endurance much surpassing that of the swiftest
Horse.
The Arabs, well acquainted with these facts, follow them for a day or
two at a distance, without pressing too closely, yet sufficiently near
to prevent them taking food. When they have thus starved and wearied the
Birds, they pursue them at full speed, taking advantage of the fact,
which observation has taught them, that the Ostrich never runs in a
straight line, but describes a curve of greater or less extent. Availing
themselves of this habit, the horsemen follow the chord of this arc,
and, repeating the stratagem several times, they gradually get within
reach, when, making a final dash, they rush impetuously on the harassed
Birds, and beat them down with their clubs, avoiding as much as possible
shedding blood, as this depreciates the value of the feathers, which are
the chief inducement for their pursuit.
Some tribes attain their object by a rather singular artifice. The
hunter covers himself with an Ostrich’s skin, passing his arm up the
neck of the Bird so as to render the movements more natural. By the aid
of this disguise, if skilfully managed, Ostriches can be approached
sufficiently near to kill them.
The Arabs hunt the Ostrich with Dogs, which pursue it until it is
completely worn out. In the breeding season, having sought and found out
where the Ostriches lay their eggs, another artifice is to dig a hole
within gunshot of the spot, in which a man, armed with a gun, can hide
himself. The concealed enemy easily kills the male and female Birds in
turn, as they sit on their nest. Lastly, to lie in wait for them close
by water, and shoot them when they come to quench their thirst is often
successful.
The Ostrich, which is an eminently sociable Bird, may sometimes be seen
in flocks of 200 or 300, mixed up with droves of Zebras, Quaggas, &c.
They pair about the end of Autumn.
The nest of the Ostrich is more than three feet in diameter; it is only
a hole dug in the ground and surrounded by a rampart composed of sticks,
etc., and a trench scratched round it outside to drain off the water.
The eggs weigh from two to three pounds, one of them being more than
sufficient for the breakfast of two or three people.
The Rhea or South American Ostrich bears the greatest resemblance to the
African Ostrich, of which it is the representative in the New World; but
it is only about half the size of the African Bird, and has three toes
instead of two. The color of its plumage is a uniform grey.
This Bird (called by the Brazilians Nhandu-Guacu) inhabits the Pampas of
South America, the coolest valleys in Brazil, Chili, Peru, and
Magellan’s Land. There they may be seen wandering over the open plains
in flocks of about thirty, in company with herds of Oxen, Horses and
Sheep. They browse on the grass like Cattle, at the same time searching
for various seeds. They run nearly as swiftly as the Ostrich, so are
well able, by speed, to escape the pursuit of their enemies. If a river
interrupts their course, they do not hesitate to plunge into it, as they
are excellent swimmers; indeed, so fond are they of water that they take
pleasure in splashing and bathing in it.
The Rhea lays its eggs and hatches them in the same manner as the
Ostrich. They are Birds of a gentle nature, and are tamed with the
greatest ease, becoming very familiar in the house, visiting the various
apartments, wandering about the streets, and even into the country; but
they always return to their homes before sunset.